I've said very clearly if there's a hung parliament, which I think there are many disadvantages and I've set those out, but we would behave responsibly. We'd do everything we can to have a good and strong government in the national interest. I think we should talk about the issues now and the result after it has happened.

Good stuff, but 24 hours later he gives yet another interview to the Independent:

David Cameron is set to claim victory if Labour comes third in Thursday's election even if he fails to win an overall majority.

His plan raises the prospect of a constitutional wrangle in which the Conservatives and Labour fight for the right to form a minority government if neither wins outright.

The article goes on:

Mr Cameron challenged the Whitehall convention that says that, if Britain votes for a hung parliament, the existing Prime Minister gets the first chance to form a government, even if his party has fewer seats or votes than its main rival. The Cabinet Secretary, Sir Gus O'Donnell, recently reaffirmed that this remains the position.

Now Dave, listen up.

There is nothing wrong with setting out your plans for government. The voters want to know what you will do, but don't start taking them for granted. The punters don't like it. Do you remember what happened to Neil Kinnock after his trip to Sheffield in 1992?

Maybe you will be able to govern without the Lib Dems and rely on the support of unionist MPs. Nobody knows until the results are announced.

You will win the largest number of seats and votes on Thursday giving you the "moral right" to govern. However, you should wait for Gordon Brown to fly back from Scotland and have his chat with Sir Gus, after which he will make his intentions clear. By early Friday afternoon you will be on your way to the Palace.

If, on the other hand, Brown and Mandelson decide to make a mess of things, just be patient and wait.

"No comment" is the answer to any questions about national situation in the early hours of Friday morning.

5 comments:

>>Mr Cameron said: "There is convention and there is practice and they are not always quite the same thing." He added: "In 1974 it was clear the Conservatives had lost and therefore they were out of office."

Which they turned into "Mr Cameron challenged the Whitehall convention that says that, if Britain votes for a hung parliament, the existing Prime Minister gets the first chance to form a government, even if his party has fewer seats or votes than its main rival. "

All he did was give a history lesson, not an indication of what he would do.

In fact, he is quoted as saying "I am far too focused on the opportunity of winning an outright majority." and "I think we should talk about the issues now and the result after it has happened."

I guess thats what you get for reading something in the Observer in the first place.

>>Cameron knows his campaign has not cut through All he can hope for is that Clegg's bubble bursts and the Labour vote collapses, which it may do in the final 48 hours

Agreed, but Cameron doesnt need to hope, his party has a strategy for making it happen.

The Labour vote has already collapsed if you go by the polls. They are down to their core vote, who, after Bigotgate, are planning to stay at home. What matters now is turnout. Labour's focus is on giving them a reason to vote - that is why all Brown seems to talk about is tax cuts for millionaires.

All the press want to talk about is hung parliament. That hurts the Tories to the benefit of LibDems/Labour, so they instead move the narrative onto the future Conservative Government.

As far as I can tell, Tory strategy is something like:a) make it look like they have already won so Labour core voters dont bother turning out - no point if Labour has already lost.b) not look threatening to the Labour core vote, again so that they dont turn out. Note the talk of not cutting 'frontline services' on Marr. c) keep all the talk about a conservative goverment and starve the libdems of publicity. All about bursting the LibDems bubble.d) show that a Tory goverment means change, but not scary change. Note the topic of their first 'Great Repeal Act' - ID cards and HIPs - which have no real support in the country. All about bursting the LibDems bubble.e) show that they are a credible government, which the LibDems could never be. All about bursting the LibDems bubble.